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Since 2015 Wilcox Wellness & Fitness has been raising money in the fight against food insecurity through our annual event Burpees for Turkeys. This event began in Bangor after Mike & Paige Wilcox, founders of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness, learned about the devastating statistics around childhood hunger across Maine and wanted to help make an impact upon this serious problem.
Since the start of this fundraiser we have raised $59,287 to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank, and that's something to be proud of!
At its root, hunger is an income problem. Many people are hungry because they get sick or injured, a spouse or parent dies, or they lose their job or are unable to work. Unfortunately, these bad breaks happen all the time, forcing people to make painful choices like whether to buy food to eat or pay their rent or other living expenses*. What’s worse is that more than 70,000 children in Maine are living with food insecurity, meaning they don’t always know where their next meal will come from, or if it will be enough. That means 1 out of every 5 Maine kids struggles with hunger – the highest child hunger rate in all of New England*. The research is clear. Children living in food insecure homes are less able to learn than their well-fed peers, are absent from school more frequently, have more behavioral problems in the classroom, and are more prone to health issues*. These statistics overwhelm my heart, and I'm honored to have this opportunity to truly make an impact each year through Burpees for Turkeys.  Good Shepherd does amazing work across Maine to fight this serious problem. Their goal is to ensure that all those struggling with hunger will have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive, when and where they need it by 2025! To achieve this they have set a bold goal to raise $250M in an unprecedented statewide campaign by raising $150M in large scale food donations from food retailers, manufacturers, producers and Maine Farmers, and another $100M through private donations like those contributed through this event!* We are so proud to support the mission of the Good Shepherd Food Bank through this event each year and are thrilled to be contributing $5445 this year in Brunswick alone! The Bangor location will be hosting their Burpees for Turkeys event on December 11th adding to this remarkable 2021 total. A special thank you to our business sponsors, Crooker Construction, Akari Salon & R.E. Management each of whom helped in our fundraising total with a $500 donation.
It was truly a community event, one that reminds me, as it does every year, just how fortunate I am to such incredible people surround me each day. I owe a debt of gratitude to each person who donated anywhere from $5 to $500 to achieve this remarkable result. It truly shows that every dollar adds up to make real IMPACT when we come together as a community. References: *Good Shepherd Food Bank Statistics: https://www.gsfb.org/
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Wilcox Wellness & Fitness is so proud to announce our partnership with Midcoast Humane. We are excited to support Midcoast Humane through our Check-Ins for Charity Program where we donate to Midcoast Humane for each Facebook Check-in.
Midcoast Humane has overwhelming support from the community at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness and we are incredibly excited to be supporting this incredible organization. Midcoast Humane is one of the biggest shelters in the state of Maine, operating animal sheltering facilities in Brunswick and Edgecomb, and providing care and second chances to nearly 3,500 animals every year. Midcoast Humane is not just about the animals. They are about the people, too, acknowledging that animal companions are for everyone, and we all can make a difference in the lives of animals, and in turn animals can make a difference in the lives of humans. Every animal that comes through the doors of Midcoast Humane receives excellent medical care, spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and care & comfort while they are awaiting their forever family. Midcoast Human believes that every life is worth saving, and are proud of their successes in saving the lives of 97% of the animals who they care for. The donations made to Midcoast Humane are put to good use. On average Midcoast Humane cares for 322 animals every day at a cost of $20/day per animal. To date, we have donated this much money to Midcoast Humane through this Check-Ins for Charity Program:
Check-ins for Charity - LIVE Tracker by Allison Hopkins
We are so incredibly happy with the impact we are able to create in our local community!!!
I know what an important part my pets are to my family, to my mental health, and to the joy that I experience through their unconditional love. Our four legged family members hold a special place in our hearts, and I'm happy to be able to support Midcoast Humane and all of the work that they do to place animals into the loving homes who will experience the same joy through their adoptions. I am even more happy to get behind the mission of Midcoast Humane to give back, and do more good. You Check-In. We Give Back. Together We Do More Good. Happy Training!
One in Five Children in Maine live with food insecurity, meaning that they lack the necessary nutrition to live a healthy life style. This is such a devastating statistic and I'm proud of the impact that we as a community were able to make through this event. Food insecurity is a serious issue even here in our local community of Greater Brunswick. The signs of hunger can easily go unnoticed, and we often don't realize who is impacted. Hunger impacts people of all kinds. A financial crisis brought on by a medical issue, lost job, or divorce can result in food insecurity even for families that you would least expect. The evidence of hunger is most obvious to those who work directly to provide food within the local community, or people who work in roles such as teachers, coaches, and counselors. When you talk with people in these kinds of roles in our local community you will realize that hunger is real. I'm impressed by the work of the Good Shepherd Food Bank and their efforts to fight against hunger across Maine. Their goal to end hunger in Maine by 2025 is an impressive one. Good Shepherd vision is to make food available to anyone who needs it through a variety of programs that they provide.
I'm proud of the impact that we were able to make this past weekend, and am honored to support Good Shepherd Food Bank in the work that they do. Members of the WILCOX community came together to help raise money for the cause. For every $5 raised participants pledged to do one burpee. As a community here in Brunswick we did 629 burpees and had a ton of fun! What is incredible is that of the $3,145 raised, $1,720 came in the form of cash donations to the trainer team by members of the WILCOX community! The remaining total came from participants who did additional fund raising. I was so impressed by how everyone came together to support the fund raising effort. The moral support provided by clients leading up to the event was overwhelming. Several clients joined us on Saturday to cheer us on and make last minute donations to support Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Good Shepherd Food Bank is able to leverage the money that we raised to do the most good. For every burpee that we did on Saturday the Good Shepherd Food Bank is able to feed a hungry child in Maine for an entire week! For every dollar raised they are able to put FOUR meals on the tables of Maine families in need.
The WILCOX community came together on Saturday for a great cause and as a result helped Good Shepherd Food Bank put 12,580 meals on the tables of Mainers! Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this year's event! A special thank you goes out to business owners across Bath & Brunswick who made donations to the prize pack that was awarded to our top fund raiser. Thank you to Morning Glory Natural Foods, Fleet Feet Brunswick, Calm Moments Spa, Casco Bay Kayak, Gulf of Maine Books, Hatch on Maine, Wild Oats Bakery, Kerry Watterson / Emerald Esthetics, Little Dog Coffee, R.E.D.D Bar, and Cool as a Moose.  We are so excited to be having the opportunity to impact people's lives in a positive way through health & fitness. When you commit to health & fitness the effect that it has on your life is incredible. You feel better and have more energy, you increase confidence, your mood improves, and so much more. These first two weeks since opening our doors has been phenomenal. Meeting members of the community and welcoming new clients to our programs has been so inspiring and so much fun. I'm really excited about the amazing people who will be making up the Wilcox-Brunswick community!
We are excited for this to be a way for us to continue to support Midcoast Humane and provide an opportunity for YOU to come by to give one of our training sessions a try. Even if you're already a client please join us! It's a great way to get in an extra training session and support a great cause!
THANK YOU to all who participated and contributed to this incredible success. Midcoast Humane was absolutely thrilled with the generosity and impact that the donations will be have on their ability to fulfill their mission.
Through the continuation of these free sessions on Saturdays, with a contribution to Midcoast Humane, we have a goal to raise $1500 to support the amazing work that they do AND collect more of the much needed supplies that help them care for the animals. To learn more about & register for our upcoming FREE Training for a Cause Sessions click here: Are you interested in learning more about our programs and how we work with our clients? We would love to talk with you. We are committed to our client's success, so we have developed a complete on-boarding process that is designed to help our clients feel confident going into a new training program. The first step in the process is to schedule a brief 10-minute phone call where we will talk about your personal goals and how our programs work. We would love to talk with you about how we can support YOU in your health & fitness goals. Schedule a call to learn more about our programs and how we can support you in your personal journey. We are really excited to meet you and support you in being your very best self through health & fitness. 2019 is going to be YOUR YEAR! Schedule a call with us today to talk about how we can help. Happy Training! Allison & the WILCOX Brunswick Team Our KickStart Program Kicks off on February 16th! This 30-day program will help you form healthy habits that you can sustain for your lifetime. You will discover limitless energy to enjoy the things you love doing so you can live a happier, healthier, more fit lifestyle that is full of limitless possibilities. By forming healthy habits you will build leverage to enhance the overall quality of your life. Brunswick Launch Special Offer: Join our February KickStart Program for $199 ! (Reg. $275) When registering use Promo Code KICKSTART199 Learn More and Register for our February 16th Program Here: Not Quite Ready?
Download our FREE Quickstart Guide and get started at home with an easy to implement workout guide and delicious, healthy recipes. 
We invite you to join us for a FREE group training session, with donation to Midcoast Humane!
Train with us and support Midcoast Humane and the amazing work that they do for our 4-legged friends.
It's a great opportunity to get to know us at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness AND support a great cause at the same time! Training for a Cause sessions are open to the public and appropriate for ALL LEVELS. 
Join us as a guest with a current WILCOX client, or schedule a quick call to find a time and training session that works best for your schedule
During this phone call we will talk about what you are looking to get out of the training session, review our training schedule together to find an appropriate session to meet your needs, and answer any questions that you have. We have over 70 training sessions available on a weekly basis, so I know that we’ll find a time that works well for you. You will also have the opportunity to schedule a free-consultation where we can talk more about how our programs can help you reach your health & fitness goals.
We began Training for a Cause our opening week back in January and we were so thrilled with the support and interest by people in the community.
We have raised $990 and boxes and boxes of much needed supplies through May with Training for a Cause and want to keep up the momentum. This is a great way for you to experience a training session with us, get to know our team, and learn more about how we work with our clients….all while supporting a great cause! We look forward to meeting you, sharing our new facility with you, and providing you with an AWESOME training session!
Suggested donations include:
Wet Cat Food, Cat Litter, Peanut Butter Used Towels & Flat Sheets Paper Plates, Paper Towels & 55-Gal Trash Bags $20 cash donation, which is enough to support an animal's care for one day. See a complete list of Midcoast Humane's Donation Wish List here:
What to expect at a Training for a Cause Workout:
All of our training sessions are led by certified personal trainers. Their job is to keep you safe, confident and comfortable throughout your entire training session. The majority of our training sessions have 8 or fewer participants, so you will receive a lot of individualized support during your training session ensuring that you have an amazing experience. We use a functional training approach to our training sessions, making a connection between the work that you do in the gym and the ability to live life outside of the gym free of limitations. Our trainers will meet you where you are in your fitness journey, providing modifications where necessary to ensure that you are using proper form and technique at all times, and staying safe, confident and comfortable throughout your entire training session with us.
Come Join us! We would LOVE to meet you and learn more about how we can support you in your health & fitness journey!
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Wilcox Wellness & Fitness Team
Not Quite Ready?
That's okay! Download our FREE QuickStart Guide so that you can start implementing healthy habits right from home.
Our QuickStart Guide is a 7 day guide that will introduce you to healthy living. Includes healthy recipes and an easy to implement workout guide  TRAINING FOR A CAUSE the week of January 14th.Train with us and support Midcoast Humane and the amazing work that they do for our 4-legged friends. It's a great opportunity to get to know us at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness AND support a great cause at the same time!  Midcoast Humane recently joined the two animal shelters in Brunswick and Edgecomb into one bigger and better organization who provides care to 3,500 animals every year! Did you know that it costs $20 per animal per DAY to run Midcoast Humane? MidCoast Humane provides veterinary care and enrichment to these animals, giving them a second chance to live amazing lives, eventually sharing all of the love that they have to give with their adoption families. They support our community in so many incredible ways. They are about more than the animals. They are about community, and through their various programs they help our community to be better. They provide a number of services including education in the areas of obedience classes, feral cat programs, and school visits to promote humane treatment of animals to kids. They also support the community through their Pet Therapy programs, provide foster care for at risk animals, and provide food for animals to a variety of local food banks so that people facing hunger don't need to make the choice between feeding themselves or their pets. Learn more at their website:  The work that Midcoast Humane does means so much to me! I have always been an animal lover, and I wish I could take them all into my home to give them great lives. But the job is so much bigger than that. I am so excited to have this opportunity to support Midcoast Humane and their work through this event. I hope that you can join us and contribute to this great cause while also doing a little something for yourself! Giving to a great cause AND participating in a training session is sure to make you feel AMAZING! I talked about this concept in a previous blog post "Wellness & Altruism Goes Hand in Hand". Training for a Cause sessions are open to the public. Join one of 20+ training sessions the week of January 14th to support Midcoast Humane. Suggested donations include: Wet Cat Food, Cat Litter, Peanut Butter Used Towels & Flat Sheets Paper Plates, Paper Towels & 55-Gal Trash Bags $20 cash donation, which is enough to support an animal's care for one day. See a complete list of Midcoast Humane's Donation Wish List here: Register today for Training for a Cause: What to expect at a Charity Workout Training Session: Our Training for a Cause sessions are 50 minutes in length and will combine both strength and conditioning exercises. The trainer will take you through a warm up at the beginning of the training session to ensure that your body is prepared for a great workout and you feel great. These training sessions are appropriate for all levels. Our trainers will meet you where you are. If you have any questions or concerns PLEASE do not hesitate to talk to the trainer before the training session. Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your training time so that you can sign in, and we have time to answer any questions that you may have. Please be sure to wear comfortable fitting clothing, bring a clean pair of indoor sneakers, and a bottle of water. I hope you can join us for a Training for a Cause Session! The Wilcox Team is excited for the opportunity to meet you! If you have any questions about our Training for a Cause sessions please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Happy Training! Allison Choose From 20+ Training Sessions:
Monday: Noon, 4pm, 5:30pm Tuesday: 5:30am, Noon, 4pm, 5:30pm Wednesday: 5:30am, 8am, Noon, 5:30pm Thursday: 5:30am, Noon, 4pm, 5:30pm Friday: 5:30am, 8am, Noon, 4:30pm Saturday: 8am, 9:30am One of the many aspects that attracted me to Wilcox Wellness & Fitness is the commitment to give back to the community. Studies indicate that the act of giving boosts one's health, happiness and wellbeing. Giving back to the community not only helps others, but it's one more way to make you feel AMAZING! Since we're in the business of Wellness & Fitness I think it's important to consider the complete package in terms of what we do beyond exercise that influence our overall wellbeing. The thing about giving is that both the giver and the receiver benefit. And this effect is rooted quite deeply in some pretty interesting neurobiology. It's incredible to me how our brains respond to acts of altruism or generosity. There are three main brain chemicals involved in the response that we feel when we do something good. The primary one being oxytocin. Our brains release oxytocin when we pat an animal, or hold a baby, and is a major factor in bonding. As such, oxytocin is often referred to as the "cuddle hormone". In addition to oxytocin, when we engage in acts of kindness or giving our brains release two other neurotransmitters - dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is associated with motivation and arousal, and serotonin is connected with sleep, digestion, memory, learning and appetite. Think about it! The simple act of giving can result in so many amazing responses by our brain - From improved sleep, and reduced stress to stronger, more meaningful relationships, and increased self-esteem. Furthermore, altruism is contagious. The act of giving doesn't start and stop with the act itself, but actually creates an amazing ripple effect in our community.  I am really excited to be hosting various fundraising activities in the Brunswick location. Fundraising and charitable events bring community together in such an important way while simultaneously giving back and making a positive impact. One example of an event I am excited to host in Brunswick started in Bangor four years ago. This past weekend I participated in the 4th Annual Burpees for Turkeys, and I'm already pumped to start planning the event in Brunswick next year. Burpees for Turkeys is a fund raiser for the Good Shepherd Food Bank. I was shocked when I learned that 1 in 5 children in Maine live with food insecurity, meaning that they lack the nutritious food necessary to grow up healthy. I am proud to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank and bring awareness to the issue. They do an incredible job leveraging cash to provide nutritious food for people who need it in Maine. The Good Shepherd Food Bank is able to provide four meals with every $1 raised. I think that is incredible!! Participants received pledges, and for every $5 raised one burpee is done.
Some say that burpees are people's least favorite exercise, but I tend to disagree. And the WILCOX Bangor team does a great job making it a lot of fun. They set up 20 stations with different ways to do a burpee, so the time goes quickly and personally, I have a blast doing it!
I can't wait to host similar events in Brunswick! I hope you'll become a part of the WILCOX community! Join our mailing list at www.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com/brunswickmaine to start your journey to a healthier, happier you! You'll receive an email after you sign up asking you to specify your location. Click Brunswick, and I’ll send you an email about our upcoming charitable events. Some articles on this topic you may want to read: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/generosity-health_n_4323727 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health/ http://mentalfloss.com/article/71964/7-scientific-benefits-helping-others https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/vitality/201404/the-neuroscience-giving |
AuthorHi! My name is Allison Hopkins and I am the owner of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Brunswick, ME. I am excited to bring WILCOX to Brunswick and share in my passion for living a great life through health and fitness. Archives
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